Kite string traveler



Sept. 2l, 1954 D. L SANDERS, JR

KITE STRING TRAVELER Filed nec. 1e, 1952 MN KN.

` y INVENToR. D4 V/O Jamas/5 TTT Patented Sept. 2l, 1954 UNITED STATESPATENT GFFICE KITE STRING TRAVELER David L. Sanders, Jr., Laredo, Tex.Application December 16, 1952, Serial No. 326.230

. 1 Claim. l

This invention relates to kite string travelers and more particularly toa traveler which carries a miniature parachute device and automaticallyreleases the parachute when the traveler reaches a position adjacent thekite.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide a traveler which canbe easily mounted on a kite string to travel along the kite string froma location adjacent the person holding the kite string to a locationadjacent the associated kite and carries a miniature parachute devicealong the kite string; which utilizes the force of the wind on theparachute device itself to move the traveler along the kite string fromthe holder toward the associated kite; which automatically releases theparachute device when the traveler reaches a position near the kite andreturns to the kite string holder where a new parachute device can beattached to the traveler; which includes a frame comprising a ilat plateand spaced apart staples secured to the plate and slidably receiving thekite string, and a clip mounted on the plate and movable toautomatically release the associated parachute device when the travelerreaches a predetermined position along the kite string; and which issimple and durable in construction, economical to manufacture, easy touse, and positive and elfective in operation.

`Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a considerationof the following description and the appended claims in conjunction withthe accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a kite and associated kite stringwith a traveler illustrative of the invention slidably mounted on thekite string;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the traveler and a fragmentaryportion of the kite string illustrated in Figure 1; and Figure 3 is aside elevational view of the traveler in a different operative positionfrom that illustrated in Figure 2 and with a miniature parachute devicecarried by the traveler shown released therefrom.

With continued reference to the drawing, the numeral Ill indicates akite of known construction having a kite string I I extending therefromto .a person standing on the ground and holding the kite string, and thenumeral I2 generally indicates a traveler slidably mounted on the kitestring for movement along the kite string from the holder of the kitestring to a location adjacent the kite and back to the kite stringholder.

The traveler I2 ,comprises a at plate I3 of elongated shape havingsubstantially parallel side edges and arcuately rounded ends, staples I4and I5 secured to the plate and extending transversely thereof andsubstantially perpendicularly from one side thereof, one near each endof the plate, these staples slidably receiving the kite string II toslidably mount the traveler 0n the kite string. Eye elements IE, Il andI8 are secured to the plate I3 and extend from the side of the plateremote from the staples I4 and I5. The eye elements are disposedtransversely of the plate and are spaced apart longitudinally of theplate in a manner such that the eye ele.- ment I 8 is disposed adjacentthe end of the plate I3 nearest the kite Ill, the eye element I'I isdisposed near the eye element I8, but at the side of this eye elementremote from the end of the plate nearest the kite, and the eye elementI6 is disposed near the other end of the plate.

A resilient U-shaped wire spring clip I S has substantially parallel,straight legs 20 and 2I and an arcuately curved intermediate portion 22and the leg 20 extends through the staples I4 and I5 and has at itsdistal end a hook or eye formation 23 which slidably receives the kitestring II at a location spaced from the side of the staple I5 adjacentthe kite. 'I'he leg ZI of the clip` extends slidably through the eyeelements I6, Il and I8, and at its distal end is longitudinally curvedin a direction away from the plate I3, as indicated at 24.

A miniature parachute device 25 including a canopy 26, a weight 21,shroud cords 281 attaching the weight to the canopy and an attachingring 2S secured to the weight, has its attaching ring 29 receiving theclip leg 2I between the eye elements I'I and I8 to detachably connectthe parachute device to the traveler.

A stop 3B is mounted on the kite string II at a location adjacent thekite I6 and may comprise a button with the kite string extended throughthe thread apertures thereof.

The parachute device 25 is attached to the traveler near the front endof the traveler and, when the parachute is subjected to the wind blowingin a direction from the person holding the kite string toward the kite,the parachute is moved to a position forwardly of the front end of thetraveler as the traveler moves along the kite string toward the kite.The force of the wind blowing from the holder of the kite string towardthe kite and acting on the parachute 25 moves the traveler along thekite string toward the kite until the hook formation 23 on the clip leg20 strikes the stop 30. The momentum of the plate I3 and the continuedpull of the parachute 2-5 causes the plate I3 to continue to moveforwardly after the clip I9 has been stopped and this pulls the curvedend 24 of the clip leg 2| out of the eye elements I8. As the parachuteattaching ring 29 will, at that time, be against or adjacent the fronteye element I8, this will release the parachute device from the travelerand the parachute device will descend from the elevation of the stop 130under the inuence of the weight 2l. As soon as the parachute has beenreleased, the force of the Wind tending to move the traveler toward thekite is eliminated and the traveler then slides back down the kitestring to the person holding the kite string and such person may thenattach a new parachute device to the traveler for movement by thetraveler up to the stop 30 and release at the location of the stop.

The invention may be embodied in other specic forms without departingfrom the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The presentembodiment is, therefore, to be considered in all respects asillustrative `and not restrictive, the scope .of the invention beingindicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoingdescription, and all changes Which come Within'the meaning and range ofequivalency of the claims are, therefore, intended to be embracedtherein.

What is claimed A kite string traveler comprising an elongated fiatplate, staples mounted on said plate and projecting from one sidethereof at spaced apart locations therealong and adapted to sldablyreceive a kite string and support the traveler on the string formovement therealong, eye elements secured to said plate and extendingfrom the other side thereof at locations spaced apart along the plate, aU-shaped spring clip having spaced apart legs slidably extending onethrough said staples and one through said eye elements and having on thedistal end of one of said legs a hook formation adapted to slidablyreceive an associated kite string and engage a stop on the kite stringto move said clip relative to said plate and disengage the other leg ofsaid clip from at least one of said eye element, and a miniatureparachute device having an attaching ring receiving said other clip legbetween said one eye element and the eye element adjacent thereto andreleased from said clip when said other clip leg is disengaged from saidone eye element, said other clip leg having at its distal end a portioncurved in a direction away from said Plate and resiliently engaging saidone eye element to releasably hold said clip against disengagement fromsaid one eye element until said stop is encountered by said hookformation.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 620,596 Lower Mar. 7, 1899 985,301 Terry Feb. 28, 19111,202,595 Shepard Oct. 24, 1916 1,484,775 Haight Feb. 26, 1924 1,844,594Peterson Feb. 9, 1932 2,471,199 Coyne May 24, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTSNumber Country Date 19,137 Great Britain or" 1902 Cisl

